Devin Scobie
Devin Scobie is a lobbyist who worked for GPC International in Edinburgh and then for Caledonian Consulting. From mid 2004 to at least the end of 2005, Scobie worked 'Director of Scotland' for the Eaga Partnership.[1] In January 2007 it was announced that he had been appointed as the interim executive director of the Scottish Parliament Business Exchange.
Career
Scobie gave the following account of his career in a presentation in 2003:
- Joined GPC in July 1999
- Former journalist and PR consultant (ten years)
- Former Edinburgh City Councillor and Parliamentary candidate
- Agent for Mike Pringle MSP (Lib Dem gain on 1 May)
- Clients include: Premier Prisons, Arriva Trains, Pfizer, Tesco, Alcan, Vodafone, 3[2]
His other activities include standing as a Liberal Democrat candidate in Edinburgh East in the 1992 UK General Election gaining 3,432 votes (10.17%). ELECTIONS: General Election 1992, Edinburgh East Liberal Democrats, accessed January 2007.
Lobbying as black art?
In a Power Point presentation in December 2003, Scobie describes an alleged alternative view of him as :
- An evil lobbyist who…
- Lunches for Scotland
- Tries to persuade, cajole and otherwise influence
- Stays in the shadows
- Lives in the Scottish Parliament
- Preys on unsuspecting MSPs
- Pretends we don’t exist
- And makes lots of money from poor, down-trodden clients...[3]
Notes
- ^ SCOTT REID BUSINESS EDITOR Firm turns the heat up on winter woes Evening News, Fri 2 Dec 2005
- ^ Presentation to the Scottish Further Education UnitThe Scottish FE Conference, 12 December 2003.
- ^ Ibid.
